Casting Assistant Device (CAD)
Casting Assistant Device (術式補助演算機), better known as CAD (シーエーディー) is a spell support processor. Magicians also call them Device ''(デバイス) or ''Assistance (アシスタンス), and, in Japan, Magic Operator. It is a machine produced by Magical Engineering. This device incorporates synthetic materials, artificially manufactured Neurons, that convert psion signals into electric signals, using the psion from a magic ritual to produce a collection of electronic magic—the activation sequence. CAD allows the processing of all the necessary components for magic in a single moment. In detail, these devices help accelerate the invocation of magic, as well as stability. These replace tools such as spell chants, talismans, magic staves, tomes hand seals, magic circles, magic tomes and other traditional methods of invoking magic. It is a tool of necessity for any modern Magic Technician. The development, production, and sale of CADs are heavily subsidized by the government as a matter of national interest. Retail pricing is only 10% of the actual cost, as a result of that policy. Even so, families can usually only afford to purchase one CAD per child as a celebratory present when they enter high school. Turnover sales are low since a magician might personally own only 5 or 6 CADs and there are only about 30,000 CAD users of high school age or older. These factors make the civilian CAD market a difficult one and cause companies to be heavily beholden to their respective governments. Appearance There are different CAD shapes or forms such as bracelet-shaped CAD's, mobile terminal-shaped CAD's, long and short gun-shaped CAD's, rifle-shaped ones, and special weapons or ornaments that conceal a CAD like Erika's baton and Azusa's pendant. Braclet shaped CAD.png|Bracelet-Shaped CAD Speed_shooting.png|Rifle-shaped CAD Capture678.PNG|Mobile Terminal-Shaped CAD Ep 12 (1).png|Various CAD Crowd ball.png|Short-Barrel Muzzle CAD Mahouka_Koukou_No_Rettousei_Trident4.jpg|Long-Barrel Trident CAD Requirements & Usage While it is a tool that helps with magic invocation, it does not mean that anyone who possesses a CAD can use magic. The CAD only provides the activation sequence, and it is the ability of the Magic Technician himself that invokes the magic. Magicians infuse Psion particles inherent in their bodies into the activation sequence output by the CAD, and feed that from the subconscious magic processing system present in all magicians into the magic operations area. Here the activation sequence is expanded, and all the necessary parameters input, in order to assemble the magic ritual. Types of CAD Generalized CAD : These are CADs which could store up to ninety-nine types of Activation Sequences without regard to the systems of magic. These CADs have the advantage in versatility and are often used by magicians who can wield different types of magic. *'Nine Schools Competition' :: Main Article: ''Air Mine'' ::: During the Speed Shooting event where Shizuku competed, Tatsuya was able to incorporate auxillary sighting systems (auxiliary aiming device) into a general-purpose CAD, a feature usually only possible when using a Specialized one. It was also noted by Mikihiko that he has never seen a rifle-shaped general purpose CAD until that event. ::: It was mentioned that a prototype incorporating auxillary aiming device on Generalized CAD was unveiled in Dusseldorf, Germany the summer before, but was cast aside because the operation was sluggish and the accuracy was low, rendering the experiment a failure. An example of a Generalized CAD made by Four Leaves Technology (FLT): ➨ Centaur Series : It is a type of general-purpose CAD which doesn't have any interfaces on the main body and can be used without any external input devices. The connector, however, has a grip and auxilliary aim assist system attached. Specialized CAD : Although this type of CAD has the advantage with speed (over Generalized ones), the number of activation sequences that can be used is limited. Specialized CADs can only store nine types of Activation Sequences of a single system of magic, and is originally intended for Magicians who are strong in select/specific areas of Magic. A few examples of Specialized CADs developed by Four Leaves Technology (FLT): *Silver Series *Silver Series Custom Silver Horn *Silver Series Custom Trident * Silver Series Flying CAD Weaponized-Integrated CAD Ep_11(13).png|Weaponized-Integrated CAD designed by Tatsuya Ep 12 (8).png|Weaponized-Integrated CAD designed by Tatsuya Ep 12 (6).png|Weaponized-Integrated CAD designed by Tatsuya This is a type of CAD that takes the form of a weapon (e.g. Sword) or weapons that conceal a CAD. The utility is even more restricted than a Specialized CAD and could only provide one Activation Sequence. Magic written into the Weaponized-Integrated CAD usually involved buffing its martial ability — the "weapon's" ability. "Blades" usually improved cutting power. "Spears" buffed their piercing force. "Rods" strengthened their striking power. "Shields" empowered their defensive abilities. *'Monolith Code' ::: Under Construction Others Socery Boosters by No Head Dragon. Some times it is also referred to as Magic Amplifiers. But they do not amplify in the classical sense. This device is a CAD that possess a self-restoring blueprint built into the Magic Sequence that assists in the construction process. Through this, Magic Sequences of large scale are rendered possible by surpassing a Magician's original capacity. Hence, it can also be called as a 'Memory Capacitor'. No Head Dragon is one of the primary distributors of this Booster. The core of the Boosters are not formed from artificial neurons but is made of a Magician's Brain Volume 4 Chapter 13 Tuning Although CADs show the superiority of modern magic, as it is a precise piece of machinery it requires regular maintenance involving the tuning of the machine to suit the traits of the user's psion waves. In this aspect, it is less useful than traditional mediums used in ancient magic. This makes it a requirement for the hardware and software of the CAD to be customized according to the user and its usage. The quality of CAD maintenance can affect invocation speed anywhere between 50-100%. Since activation sequences from the CAD was directly absorbed by subconscious, a badly tuned CAD can cause discomfort, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, or even major harm such as hallucinations or mental scarring. Category:Modern Magic Category:Technology Category:Terminologies